Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-03-10
THE CORONADO KILLING.


More Trouble Likely to Grow Out of the
AnAfr-Arming and Barrieading.
WALLACE. Kan, March 4.-The situation
in the Coronado-Leoti war remains I'M
changed Both towns are surrounded by
strong Gordon of armed men, who permit
no one to enter. The men in both towns
sleep with their guns and. after gaining adj
mission, a stranger finds Winchester rife
at every turn. They stand in doorways
and merchants carry their guns while they
wait on customers Men patrol the streets
OF the town all day and night The country
surrounding is as excited as the towns and
about equally divided. Coronado sympa-
thizers are for the most part in town with
their ammunition and guns ard the Corona
do men said yesterday that within an hour
500 men could be recruited in the town
ready to defend it with their lives At
Leoti the cry Is for revenge. The citizens
are as excited as they were on the day fol-
lowing the shooting and they are unanimous
in their determination to sack Coronado at
the first opportunity.
Immediately after the shooting Sunday
some men from Leoti came to Wallace and
secured all the guns and ammunition they
could get, and representatives from Coro-
nado paid similar visits to Garden City, so
that both towns are well equipped with
ammunition for war, which every man be-
leves will occur before the thing is settled.
The Leoti population, which has been re-
cruited by their county cohorts, are looked
to for the first move and the Coronado men
will act on the defensive. Each town has
plans, but they are in too chaotic state
for a forecast of the probable result.
County Sheriff John Edwards, who is
Leoti man, has not made an attempt TO ar
rest the murderers, as he knows that such
effort would cost him his life. He has
twelve warrants, but unless the State
authorities lend him the assistance OF
couple of companies of militia they will
never be served, and even in that case the
Coronado men say that the shooters Will
never be taken alive.
Charlie Coulter and Bill Raynes, the
leaders of the Leoti crowd, went over to
Coronado on Sunday morning and di ank
considera BILE beer and whisky. They then
returned to Leoti, got more beer and i've
companions (only three Of whom were
armed) and returned in wagon and bug
gy. They visited druggist, who was sick
in bed, and made him get up. Coulter or
dered him to dance and fired his gun at his
feet to make him obey. The druggist Of
fered to treat if Coulter would lower his
gun, and the offer was accepted. The men
then went into the street and, according to
the story, began shooting unfortunately.
Coulter did most of the firing. A Coronado
man named jackson got in Coulters way
and was struck over the head with the butt
of Coulter's gun.
The Loomis brothers interfered and asked
the Leou men to stop their abuse. In reply
Coulter turned on them and struck at one,
performing an old plainsman trick by hit
ting one over the head and shooting the
other in the leg at the same time. John
LOOMS was. standing back of Bob and as
Coulter fired he sprang forward and
clinched with him.
The Leoti crowd, according to the story
of the Coronado men, then began firing at
two citizens who were running up the
street A dozen Coronado men who had
gathered in store then opened fire, and
Coulter seemed to be a target for them all.
The firing only continued a moment and
when the smoke cleared away Raynes,
Coulter and Watkins, who were on the
pavement, had fallen dead. the other men
were in the wagon and James Dunning and
Johnson were seriously injured, A. n.
Borey, the seventh man of the Leoti crowd,
escaping without injury.